Sunday, November 13, 2011

Bloggers and blog readers are creative people. They just have to be. Bloggers share their thoughts and ideas and readers are looking for inspiration. Often readers are bloggers or would be if they had more time. Time. Therein lies the creative dilemma for most of us. Finding time, using it effectively, overcoming the guilt we often feel for doing something creative when we think we should be doing more "useful" things. Who hasn't had this problem?

Gail McMeekin's book, The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, is filled with explanations of how we can nourish our creativity effectively. McMeekin looks at many things that affect our ability to unleash our creativity including the innate differences in male/female thinking and cultural influences that are so ingrained we may well not realize how they are affecting our decision-making. Through the lives, thoughts, and experiences of many women who have succeeded in creative endeavors, McMeekin offers countless ideas for setting up our lives to encourage our creative talents.

I don't know how I missed this book before! The one I just got is the tenth anniversary edition. There is so much inspiring, profound, and just plain useful information in this book. I'm getting copies for all the females in my family for Christmas. How great if the young ones begin their adult lives knowing they deserve to take the time to nurture their creativity. What great things might come of expanding our views of women's roles in society and what great new cultural traditions we might pass down for future generations.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

I have a beautiful jacket almost completed. I'm right down to the buttons and hemming. Unfortunately, I just cannot make it fit well. I used my measurements to decide on the size which turned out to be too big on the muslin piece. I made the next size down, and it still does not look right in the chest area. It looks great on the hanger--just not on ME.

I do need a better camera. These fabric look so much richer in person.
I have no idea why those white spots are there in the photo either!

Other reviewers said it was not for beginners, but I've had luck with a few clothing pieces before. I am not skilled enough, however, to know how to make the shoulders narrower without changing the rest of the fit down through the chest area. I also think I would also need to put in darts to get rid of the slight bunching in the front armpit area. Again, I don't know how to do this. I could probably start playing with it, but I really don't want to put this much time and effort into altering patterns.

I'm going to finish it and give it to the Goodwill shop. Someone out there may have the figure for it! For now I need to get back to my other sewing. I owe someone an apron and still have lots of dish towels and cloth napkins to get ready for holiday gifts.